


something squishy

by mothicalcreatures (laelreenia)



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Family, Gen, Unreliable Narrator, maedhros doesn't know what to do with children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 18:25:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15869244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laelreenia/pseuds/mothicalcreatures
Summary: Elrond and Elros try to catch a cat and Maedhros steps in something gross.





	something squishy

**Author's Note:**

> From the prompt "Stepping in something squishy."

Most days, when neither he nor Maglor had anywhere to be, Maedhros would be barefoot. He’d never liked going barefoot when the floor was cold stone, but it was one of those strange things Maedhros had found himself doing since the Nirneath Arnoidead to try to feel closer to Fingon. Fingon had always preferred to be barefoot no matter what the floor was made of.

Lost in thought as he was, he wasn’t paying much mind to where he was walking. At least, until he stepped in something cold, wet, and disgustingly slimy that squelched between his toes and sent a shudder running through his entire body. He immediately stepped back trying to wipe his foot off on the stones and looked down to see what he’d stepped in.

It was a pile of chopped up fish… that had just been sitting in the middle of the floor right in front of the door to the garden. It seemed intentionally placed and Maedhros wondered if it was Elrond and Elros’s idea of a prank until he heard some embarrassed muttering and Elrond and Elros emerged from behind a tapestry.

“We’re sorry,” Elros said, almost immediately. “It’s just…”

“There was a cat,” Elrond finished. “And we wanted to see if we could get it to come inside. We’ll clean it up. We’re sorry”

Maedhros sighed. He never knew quite how to deal with these children and rather wished Maglor was here to do it for him, considering the twins found him the more intimidating. “No, it’s quite all right,” Maedhros said. “No harm done, save perhaps to your bait. Why don’t you to run down to the kitchens and ask the cook for a bit more fish and I’ll clean this up.”

Elrond and Elros exchanged a look, as if Maedhros’s reaction had been confusing, but they ran off none-the-less.

When they were gone Maedhros wiped up the fish as best he could with a handkerchief he’d had on hand and tossed it all outside. It would still likely be appealing to the cat they’d been trying to catch. He half wanted to ask the boys if he frightened them, but at the same time, it didn’t make any sense to ask such a question, of course they were. He and Maglor had been responsible for the loss of their mother and the destruction of their home.

Once again lost in thought, he didn’t realize when Elrond and Elros returned until Elros tugged on his robes. “We got more fish,should we put it outside?”

“Why not a trail leading inside?” Maedhros suggested. He didn’t want to spoil their fun, even if that fun left small piles of fish on the floor. They deserved to have some fun, they were just children. “The cat might be more likely to come in if they’re following a trail of fish rather than deciding whether or not they’d follow the pile.”

Elros nodded, but was quiet.

“But you don’t mind if we trail the fish inside?” Elrond asked.

“No,” Maedhros said. “I see no harm in it. You are trying to coax the cat inside after all.”

“Can we keep it if we catch it?” Elros asked, already starting to spread the fish along the floor.

“That will depend on whether or not the cat wants to stay,” Maedhros replied, smiling lightly. “But I see no reason you can’t. We could always use a good mouser around to keep the grain stores safe from mice. Now I will leave you two to your hunt and I will warn Maglor about the fish so that he does not make the same misstep I did.”

 

 


End file.
